Posted on Sep 2, 2021
With Americans Stranded in Afghanistan, the Military Changes Focus and Shows Why We Keep Losing...
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Move along. Nothing to see here. Time to get back to job we were appointed to do.
With Americans Stranded in Afghanistan, the Military Changes Focus and Shows Why We Keep Losing...
Posted from redstate.com
Leadership
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 5
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A great article and a sad day to see what our defense leadership has come to.
The rank & file, as always, will do their jobs in a stellar manner, while those in the upper echelon seem more concerned about keeping their jobs than protecting the nation.
Blackjack Pershing, Chesty Puller, where are you when we need you?
The rank & file, as always, will do their jobs in a stellar manner, while those in the upper echelon seem more concerned about keeping their jobs than protecting the nation.
Blackjack Pershing, Chesty Puller, where are you when we need you?
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Guess that depends on what you are appointed to do. Afghanistan is a permanent stain on everyone, past and present, that were in a senior leadership position. Twenty years and getting thrown out is disgraceful. The likes of which hasn’t been seen since Saigon.
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The article has *some* truth to it. Yes, the withdrawal was poorly executed, and planned even worse - if at all!
HOWEVER
This article, like many others like it, suffers from a horrible delusion that the military - and the people within it - can do ONLY ONE THING at a time. Yes, we need to train. Yes we need to fight and win when called upon. Absolutely. That does not mean we cannot ALSO address diversity, inclusion, and/or equality. It does not mean we cannot ALSO tighten up on background checks and recruiting standards to try to reduce the number of extremists in the ranks (because with a military this large and diverse, it would be virtually impossible to completely eliminate them). It doe not mean we cannot ALSO start training for other threats, modernize our equipment, research new tactics, strategies, or technologies, or any of a number of other things.
The fact that someone within the Pentagon thought about or even *gasp* thought about something DIRECTLY AFFECTING THE MILITARY that was *not* straight tactics or warfare, but rather force STRUCTURE is not a bad thing. As a matter of fact, having folks focused on things like force structure, equipment, technology, etc. to fight and win FUTURE WARS or to make us BETTER in the future is a GOOD THING.
Now, if you want to debate whether the particular proposals or ideas are more or less meritorious than other proposals with the same purpose, fine. Let's have that debate. But vilifying the Pentagon for doing ANYTHING other than "fight and win now" is just utter nonsense.
HOWEVER
This article, like many others like it, suffers from a horrible delusion that the military - and the people within it - can do ONLY ONE THING at a time. Yes, we need to train. Yes we need to fight and win when called upon. Absolutely. That does not mean we cannot ALSO address diversity, inclusion, and/or equality. It does not mean we cannot ALSO tighten up on background checks and recruiting standards to try to reduce the number of extremists in the ranks (because with a military this large and diverse, it would be virtually impossible to completely eliminate them). It doe not mean we cannot ALSO start training for other threats, modernize our equipment, research new tactics, strategies, or technologies, or any of a number of other things.
The fact that someone within the Pentagon thought about or even *gasp* thought about something DIRECTLY AFFECTING THE MILITARY that was *not* straight tactics or warfare, but rather force STRUCTURE is not a bad thing. As a matter of fact, having folks focused on things like force structure, equipment, technology, etc. to fight and win FUTURE WARS or to make us BETTER in the future is a GOOD THING.
Now, if you want to debate whether the particular proposals or ideas are more or less meritorious than other proposals with the same purpose, fine. Let's have that debate. But vilifying the Pentagon for doing ANYTHING other than "fight and win now" is just utter nonsense.
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1st Lt Padre Dave Poedel
I am concerned that you are expecting far too much from our leaders than they have demonstrated. As I always say: there is nothing worse than a peacetime military. A 20 year "war" has made our leaders into functionaries and common bureaucrats. Very sad...a lot of flag officers will need to be fired or retire before a new generation of leaders can emerge from these battles to stop and reset our fighting forces....but what do I know? I'm just a Pastor.....
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SFC Casey O'Mally
1st Lt Padre Dave Poedel - Sir, do you really believe that our military leaders are SO incompetent that they are incapable of thinking about more than one thing in a given day. Or in a given week, month, or year?
Not once, EVER, in my military career did only do *one* thing in any given day. Even days like a 25-mile tactical march where that was the only thing on the training calendar, and I was a PFC with no troops to worry about. Even then I was checking my own uniform, pulling security during rest halts, doing weapons maintenance, practicing RTO skills, building cohesion and esprit de corps, identifying out of the way areas to go bird-watching during the weekend, etc. And that was as a PFC. Was I, as a PFC infantryman with negligible military training (at that point) and no clue how the Army REALLY worked - was I THAT much more competent than our senior military and civilian leaders?
I do not expect too much from our leaders, I think others expect (and demand) too little from them.
Not once, EVER, in my military career did only do *one* thing in any given day. Even days like a 25-mile tactical march where that was the only thing on the training calendar, and I was a PFC with no troops to worry about. Even then I was checking my own uniform, pulling security during rest halts, doing weapons maintenance, practicing RTO skills, building cohesion and esprit de corps, identifying out of the way areas to go bird-watching during the weekend, etc. And that was as a PFC. Was I, as a PFC infantryman with negligible military training (at that point) and no clue how the Army REALLY worked - was I THAT much more competent than our senior military and civilian leaders?
I do not expect too much from our leaders, I think others expect (and demand) too little from them.
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